I have a '95 BMW 325. The driver’s seat reclined and will not come back up… not digging the gangsta posture or the extra ab workout to sit up straight (luckily I don’t have to drive very far at the moment). The motor to go back seems to work (obviously) but makes no noise when the button is pushed to move it back up. What do I have to do to fix this?
Common problem. The nylon gear in the gearbox under the seat gets old and brittle and splits.
You can get a new seat gearbox from BMW for several hundred dollars, or you can go to OdometerGears.com and buy a new gear for about $40. There are detailed instructions on the website with photos. The only special tool you need is a Torx screwdriver. It is a lot less work to replace the gear than it is to replace the whole gearbox.
Be careful not to over-tighten the screws that hold the cover on the gear box. They are not very strong and you can twist the head off the screw.
If you pull the seat completely out of the car so you can flip it upside down to work on it, (advisable), note that the tips of the rails that bolt to the floor are VERY sharp. The seat is not very heavy, but it is big and awkward to handle, and those rails will scratch you and your car interior and exterior if you don’t cover the rail tips with something like an old sock. Best to have a helper when you pull the seat out and put it back. I put a nasty scratch on the door of my daughter’s car doing this job.